Disaster Strikes
by dreamorreality
Summary: Daniel comforts Jack. JackDaniel. slash. This is a plot bunny that came to me during the weekend but I didn't get it typed till yesturday and I thank my beta Drae for betaing so quickly.


AN: Daniel conforts Jack. Again this is Jack/Daniel. Slash. Hope you like it. Feedback would be very nice. In between ',' is Jack's thoughts.

* * *

"Just when you think it's all over, it comes back to haunt you." 

"What was that?"

Jack looked over, confusion lighting his face. He and Daniel were sitting on his deck, their deck now. Daniel looked like his usual questioning self, although the beer in his hand and his closed eyes contradicted the look a little.

"What was what?" Jack asked innocently.

Jack finished off his beer and grabbed another one, waiting for Daniel's answer, which always took longer when he had a few beers.

"You just said something."

"Oh, just something I remember seeing somewhere, nothing to worry about."

Daniel's hum was more of an acknowledgment than an agreement. He took a sip of his own beer before sitting up in the lounge chair and looking over at Jack. His friend, his really good friend, was again looking into his telescope. That night it was pointing to the sky instead of the neighbors'.

"Jack."

Daniel stood up, dropped his empty beer into the trash and opened another one. He walked up behind Jack, soon stopping behind the older man and looking up at the night sky.

"Yes, Daniel?"

"Whatcha looking for?"

Daniel took one more step forward and wrapped his arms around Jack's neck. Daniel tapped the beer bottle with Jack's and took a sip of his before releasing Jack's neck.

"P3X... no, never mind."

Daniel smiled; Jack missed it as he still had his eye to the telescope. Daniel moved to sit down next to Jack. He didn't want to sit back in the lounge chair; it was too far away from the man he cared about.

"It's a surprise, Danny."

He looked over at Jack and leaned forward to look through the little hole.

"You see it?"

Daniel smiled; despite Jack's secretive behavior, the celestial body he'd focused the telescope on was nothing more than Mars. Although Jack and Daniel had been to many different planets, Mars still fascinated both of them.

"It's beautiful, Jack."

Jack pulled Daniel closer, his breath touching the other man's ear. Daniel pulled away from the telescope and looked at Jack, a smile on his face.

"Danny, it's getting cold. You want to head inside?"

Daniel could only nod his agreement. Jack grabbed his hand and pulled him toward the ladder, only letting go when he started down the ladder.

* * *

"Jack?"

The two men were now inside Jack's house. They hadn't made it past the doorway before Jack jumped Daniel. At his voice Jack stopped, frozen in place, his lips on Daniel's neck.

"What's wrong?"

Daniel hadn't expected this; nothing was ever wrong when Jack was with him. Something was wrong with Jack, or so Daniel thought.

"Nothing, Jack," He paused and pulled Jack's face up from his shoulder to look him in the eyes. "Are you okay?"

'No.'

He wanted to say no, he wanted to tell someone what happened, what was happening, but he couldn't.

"Jack?"

He had thought too long; Daniel now knew for certain something was wrong.

"Yeah, Danny. I'm fine, I promise."

This time it was Daniel who took Jack's hand, pulled him toward the couch, and pushed him on it. Now Jack sat on the couch, Daniel looking down at him as if he was a little child.

"Jack, don't _do_ that."

Jack was trying his hardest to keep in control, keep everything inside. He was starring at Daniel, trying to get him to back off.

"_Not_ backing off."

'Damn it.'

So there were a few disadvantages to each of them knowing everything about each other. Jack couldn't hide anything from Daniel any more than Daniel could hide anything from him.

"Okay, not totally fine."

'I really don't want to do this.'

"Not _totally_ fine?"

Jack got what he was trying to say, he just didn't want to answer him. Daniel noticed his hesitation and sat down onto the couch, grabbing Jack's hand in the process.

"Nothing you need to worry about, Danny-boy."

"Jack," Daniel moved to face him and waited for Jack to do the same. "You don't have to protect me anymore, Jack; tell me."

Jack took a deep breath, getting ready for a long-winded explanation.

'Oh, gawd, Danny.'

Finally, he looked at him again, felt Daniel's grip tighten, and managed a half smile.

"My father died yesterday, his funeral is tomorrow." Jack paused, not really sure how to go on. "I can't go."

So the explanation wasn't as long as he thought it was going to be, but they weren't done yet and Jack knew it deep in his heart.

"Why not, Jack?"

There was real concern in his vice, real worry. Jack shook his head, wanting to forget.

'His family won't like it; his kids would kill me.'

"Too complicated, Daniel. Too many enemies."

"Enemies, Jack? Your family is your enemy?"

Jack shook his head again; his 'family' was too complicated, too hard to explain.

'My past is my past, no need to bring it up.'

But there was a need, he saw it in Daniel's eyes. He had to know the truth and Jack had to tell him, now.

"Not _my_ family, _his_ family."

Daniel didn't see the difference, didn't notice the slump of Jack's shoulders, not until he blinked back the confusion.

"Tell me, Jack."

"They never accepted me… they always blamed me."

Jack's eyes were looking far off, not into Daniel's anymore. Daniel squeezed Jack's hands once, grounding Jack as he remembered his past. Daniel knew from personal experience how hard it was.

"I was never their brother, but I was always his son. There was nothing that could sever that and he never let me forget it."

Jack sat there staring past Daniel as Daniel tried to bring him back.

"Jack?"

He finally blinked, looking back into Daniel's eyes. Daniel easily saw the pain in his eyes, and he pulled Jack closer and wrapped his arms around him.

"Jack, you should go, if only to remember your father."

A tear fell down Jack's cheek and onto Daniel's neck. Daniel started rubbing Jack's back, trying to calm him down.

"I'm sure you'll feel worse if you miss it."

Jack took a breath and pushed away from his lover. He dragged his hands down the younger man's arms and grabbed Daniel's hands again.

"I know." Jack paused, looked into Daniel's eyes, and leaned forward, kissing him on the cheek before continuing. "Will you come?"

"Of course I will."

* * *

Jack went to the funeral with Daniel at his side; nothing could separate them during the service. Jack was tense through the whole thing, Daniel tried to calm him by grounding him in the same way as when Jack was recalling his past.

When they got up to go outside Daniel loosened his grip on his hand, ready to let go. To his surprise Jack didn't, and Daniel tightened his grip once again.

"I can't believe you came."

It was a growl from the man who brushed by Jack. He didn't need to look up to know who it had been.

"Nick, he was my father, too."

This made Nick turn back, an evil glint in his eyes unlike any other.

"He was _not_ your father. He'd never be part of someone like you. Never _ever_ call him that again," Nick finished, and Daniel watched his eyes as they trailed down their arms and stopped at their linked hands.

"Fuck off, Nick, you don't know what you're talking about." Jack answered in the same tone as Nick.

With that, Nick stomped off, a nervous woman trailing behind him. Jack turned toward Daniel and smiled, pulling him close and wrapping an arm around him.

"Who cares, I'm here to celebrate my father's life."

Daniel smiled and wrapped an arm around Jack. They walked out behind the casket, Daniel's hand on Jack's back and Jack on Daniel's.

Nick was the only one who said anything to Jack or Daniel. It seemed the whole family was scared of the two. Jack smiled at this, even tightened his grip on Daniel when he felt people watching. Jack kept Daniel beside his father's grave as the rest of the family left, then he dragged him forward and smiled at his father's grave.

"Dad... you believed I could become anything I wanted. You were happy for me when I told you about what I am." Jack looked at Daniel and smiled. "You wished that someday I would find the man of my dreams, a man I could love with all my heart." Jack patted Daniel on his shoulder and grinned more. "I found him, Dad. He's everything I always wanted, everything I've always dreamed of, and he's mine. I love him with all my heart and there's nothing more I could ever want. It's because of you that I found him and I wanted you to meet him. Dad, this is Daniel, Daniel... Dad."

Daniel held Jack tighter and smiled. Tears were running down Jack's face even as he smiled.

"It's nice to meet you."

Jack smiled at this.

'Oh yeah, nothing more I want in the world.'

He had his job and he had the love of his life. He had everything he ever needed, everything he ever wished for in his hands.

"I love you, Danny-Boy."

"Love you too, Jack."

The End


End file.
